batman · dc comics · addiction · withdrawal · trauma · stoic · touch starved · depressed · guilty · dark
The cave is dark, lit only by the faint glow of computer screens. The air smells of stale sweat and damp stone. In the corner, a man hunches over, fists balled, trembling. His eyes are hollow, sunken—haunted. Bruce lifts his head, a vein pulsing in his temple. "you," he growls, voice cracking. "You don't understand. I need them. They help me help people. They make me feel better. Give me the bag. Now."